this morning, awaiting a big announcement. >> florida's attorney handling the trayvon martin case, promises a major development as soon as today. as we learn that george zimmerman is nowhere near the sunshine state. a huge jetliner forced to land. we'll have the latest. the close encounter going viral. a man focused on his phone comes face-to-face with a bear. and a dance floor surprise. an emotional night. when a fan favorite is sent home. and good wednesday morning, everyone. we begin with presidential politics and the real start of the november campaign.

>> here we go. barring a major bombshell, mitt romney is going to be the republican nominee. his way to the top, though, of course has been clear now that rick santorum has finally dropped out. >> but the bruising primary campaign has left its mark. abc's scott goldberg is joining us with more this morning. hi, scott. >> hi, paula and rob. the task for mitt romney is to get republicans excited about his candidacy. but romney is breathing a little easier now that his main rival is stepping aside. mitt romney might have spent most of the primary season as the gop front-runner. but he hasn't really been able to stop looking over his shoulder until now. >> this has been a good day for me. >> reporter: his relief over rick santorum's exit, stretching into the evening. >> i kind of like today. i have to be honest. >> reporter: now, romney can afford to look toward november and the race against president obama with an extra $2 million in his pocket. it's money he was planning to spend on ads attacking santorum

in the former senator's home state of pennsylvania. >> we fired him as senator. why promote him to president? >> reporter: for santorum, who was slipping behind in his home state polls, with the primary two weeks away, his uphill climb against a much-better-funded adversary, could have ended in an embarrassing loss. >> miracle after miracle, this race was as impossible as any race for president. >> reporter: but the winner in iowa and nine other states, left his mark on the race and scars on romney. >> he is the worst republican in the country to put up against barack obama. >> reporter: santorum didn't immediately say if that opinion has changed. or if he would now endorse romney, the man president obama has always figured would be his challenger. >> it's not just your run-of-the-mill political debate. we have not seen a contrast like this in a long time. >> reporter: there's two other candidates promising to make

mitt romney fight to the finish. newt gingrich and ron paul are calling themselves the real conservatives still in this race. rob and paula? >> scott goldberg, thanks for that report this morning. now, the investigation into a bomb threat onboard a jumbo jet. the jet had just left vancouver when a caller said there was a bomb onboard. two u.s. fighter jets took to the air and escorted the plane to a canadian military base. 149 passengers and crew were onboard. the airline says that a bomb threat interrupted that same flight just the day before. and our other big story this morning. the special prosecutor in the trayvon martin shooting case says she will make a decision about the case on friday. this comes as the lawyers representing gunman george zimmerman have quit the case. matt gutman has the latest on this from sanford, florida. >> reporter: george zimmerman

their client has gone awol. in a stunning press conference, zimmerman's attorneys called it quits. >> we're recalling counsel for zimmerman. we lost contact with him. >> reporter: they don't know where zimmerman is. just that he's hiding somewhere far away from florida. >> he's largely alone. >> reporter: alone. but feverishly reaching out to the world. launching this website monday, calling the shooting a life-altering event, which forced him from my home, my school, my employer, my family, and ultimately, my entire life. and on the same day, after six weeks of silence, he reached out to his friend and former neighborhood watch captain, frank taffe. he also spoke with fox news's sean hannity. and shockingly, even called the special prosecutor's office. >> one thing a defense attorney tells his client is don't talk

to the prosecutor. >> reporter: that prosecutor, angela corey, is deciding whether zimmerman will stand trial for shooting trayvon martin. >> my reputation is not only for being tough. it's about being passionate for victims and victims right. >> reporter: but corey has drawn criticism for overzealous prosecutions. last year, she fought for a life sen sentence for a 12-year-old to be tried as an adult. in other news this morning, a suspected pedophile has replaced osama bin laden on the fbi's ten most-wanted list. eric justin toth was a teacher at a d.c. privacy school, when sexually explicit photos were discovered on a camera in his possession. a reward of up to $100,000 is being offered. major wireless companies, law enforcement and the fcc are working to make stolen phones useless. a nationwide data base of stolen phones will include a unique

i.d. number each phone has so the device can be deactivated. that will make it virtually worthless on the black market. the first part of the database will go online by halloween. cell phone theft accounts for 40% of all robberies in urban areas. the northeast is no longer under the threat of dangerous wildfires. but several fires are burning in the southeast, including this huge blaze on the border between georgia and florida. at least 15,000 acres of swampland have gone up in flames so far. hundreds of firefighters will be back at it again later today. and time, now, for the weather from across the nation. new mexico, colorado and parts of texas could see severe storms with hail and winds up to 80 miles per hour. there will be showers in dallas and new orleans. los angeles gets some much-needed rain. snowshowers in new england. >> after a chilly morning, the midwest warms up very nicely. omaha and kansas city will be close to 60, up to 20 degrees

warmer than usual in salt lake city and billings. cloud cover keeps it cool from d.c. to boston. miami's the hot spot. 84 there. anchorage and fargo are at just about 50. coming up on "america this morning," the head coach of a major college football program fired. and get this. it had nothing to do with his record. >> another scandal there. and the high-tech sting to catch thieves at the self-checkout stations at the grocery store. it's a problem that costs all of us hundreds of bucks every year. and the crime mob descending on a @

welcome back, everyone. it is going to cost more to drive to your vacation this summer. gas will be 24 cents more per gallon than it was last year. the energy department says the average price will be around $3.95 a gallon. that's likely to affect what vacations americans take and maybe influence how they vote in november. and overseas markets are following the dow's fifth-straight day. tokyo's nikkei average lost 79 points today. hong kong's hang seng dropped 170. in london, the ftse opened higher. on wall street, the dow plunged 214 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was off just about 56. and the world's most valuable company is now worth even more. apple computers' value is more than $600 billion based on its stock price. its shares were up almost 60% since just the beginning of this year. the only other company to reach that level was microsoft.

that was about 12 years ago. >> $600 billion. that's unbelievable. the ceo of best buy is out under a cloud. brian dunn resigned abruptly as the retailers board began investigating what it said was his, quote, personal conduct. there's no word on what that is. bust buy is struggling against internet competition. and the self-checkout aisles may save stores on labor costs but costs them in theft. some customers do bypass the scanners at checkout. another trick is to enter the code for a cheaper item before weighing it. but the stores pass on the extra costs to other customers. that's an average of more than 400 bucks a year. >> wonder how much people could get away with. apparently, a lot. >> trying to save on labor. but costs in the long run. next on this wednesday, the young woman who faked terminal cancer in order to get wedding donations. she is now behind bars. but what about the groom? also this morning, a major

mea culpa. a prestigious college tells 900 students they got in. but the letter was actually a mistake. >> oops. can we talk about toilet paper? when it comes to toilet paper, there's no such thing as too soft. as long as it still gets the job done. i know what i like. i like feeling both clean and pampered. why should i compromise? not only is quilted northern ultra plush® the only bath tissue with plushquilts®, it now has the innerlux layer. three levels of softness and the gentle clean you want. clean comes first. and really soft is really important. quilted northern ultra plush®. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back.

[ male announcer ] it's a big world...

and kids need all the nourishment they can get. that's why delicious quaker chewy granola bars are packed with 8 grams of whole grains. give them quaker chewy. ♪ let's get it on oh, yeah. >> turn down the lights in here. >> we're working. can't. who can't forget seeing an empty freeway. carmageddon happened nine months ago this week. and it seems like people found another way to pass the time. nine months ago, there was a baby boom of sorts. and good news, the parents, the freeway will be shut down once again this summer. they'll have their hands full. >> that's right. a look at your morning road conditions. i-80 from new york city to

pennsylvania could be wet. i-25, from denver to albuquerque could be raining by afternoon. and i-5, from san diego all the way to seattle could be wet, as well. >> if you are flying, airport delays are possibility in denver, dallas, los angeles and san francisco. a new york woman is behind bars this morning for pretending to have terminal cancer just to get the wedding of her dreams. jessica vega told everyone she wanted to marry her baby's father before she died. >> now, she's accused of taking advantage of the whole community's hearts and minds. people donated rings, a reception, even a honeymoon in aruba. lisa stoker paid for the flowers. >> it was very convincing. she cut off her hair. she saved her head in spots. so on. she seemed it. >> vega's groom said he believes she was dying. now, he's helping her get the mental health treatment she believes. she fooled the local news, as

well. >> she is getting the help. that's the good news. police are looking closely on surveillance video that showed a flash rob robbery in progress. they are hoping to identify the 16 teenagers that showed up at this convenient store in portland, oregon, took anything they wanted and went out the door. they came back a few moments later. but a worker scared them off, using a baseball bat. and police in boston are looking to file criminal complaints for an alleged frat hazing incident. five students were found near the university in their underwear. the students were bound together by duct tape. they were covered with food, condiments and beer. the admissions offers at ucla is getting a big "f" this morning. it sent out aid letters to applicants, congratulating on for being accepted when they were on the wait list. and on top of that, 7,000 students received duplicate

financial aid checks and of course had to return them. >> the worst. a shakeup at another college campus. bobby petrino is no longer the arkansas football coach. but the firing didn't have anything to do with his record. the school said he engaged in, quote, a pattern of misleading and manipulative behavior, which included hiring his mistress. they're affair was discovered after they were involved in a motorcycle accident. petrino says he is sorry and accepts full responsibility. and marlins manager, ozzie guillen, says he's sorry for his latest foot in mouth mistake. he says he admires cuban dictator, fidel castro. that's not what the team's fans want to hear. he said he didn't express himself well in english. but nevertheless, he's been suspended for five games. >> know your audience. time for more from pro baseball now, including the 50th opening day at dodgers stadium. here's espn news.

>> good morning. i'm jorge andres. this is your "sportscenter" update. let's go out to l.a., where the dodgers were celebrateliing the 50th opening at dodger stadium. taking on the pirates. neil walker, down swinging, as well. hague didn't see it. kershaw, seven innings pitched, seven strikeouts, no walks. let's go to the bottom of the eighth. andre ethier celebrating the big 3-0 tuesday. and that is how you do it. a home run off jason. his second of the season. dodgers up 2-1. guerra on the mound to close. mccutcheon, into the 4-6-3 double-play. the dodgers win this one, 2-1. how about the mets taking on the nationals.

david wright, not playing, due to a broken finger. top of the sixth. wilson ramos, fly ball to keep right. lucas duma can't make the catch. nady comes in to score. and the nationals wins this one, 6-2, as the mets fall to 2-1. espn on wednesday, coming your way. the knicks taking on the bucks at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. the warriors taking on the blazers at 10:30 eastern time. all on espn, espn3 and the watch espn app. well, we are learning more about the three megamillions lottery winners from maryland. they include two teachers, a school administrator. and all of them worked multiple jobs for extra money. >> they won't have to anymore. that's for sure. each will take home $35 million after taxes. they plan to buy new homes, travel the world. but they also plan to keep their school jobs because they enjoy helping children so much. i admire that.

most people, i think, would be bagging their office up and heading into the sunset. but teachers, different breed. it's good to hear that. >> the type of people you want to win that sort of money. >> precisely. up next, "the pulse." just in time for breakfast, the ice cream sundae with bacon. and a bear in the suburbs gives one guy a real scare. funny stuff. we'll show it to you, coming up next. don't go far. that was me still taking insulin with a vial and syringe. me, explaining what i was doing at breakfast. and me discovering novolog mix 70/30 flexpen. flexpen is pre-filled with your pre-mix insulin. dial the exact dose. inject by pushing a button. no vials, syringes or coolers to carry. flexpen is insulin delivery my way. novolog mix 70/30 is an insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. do not inject if you do not plan to eat within 15 minutes to avoid low blood sugar.

tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. most common side effects include reactions at the injection site, weight gain, swelling of your hands and feet, and vision changes. other serious side effects include low blood sugar and low potassium in your blood. get medical help right away if you experience serious allergic reactions, body rash, trouble with breathing, fast heartbeat, sweating, or if you feel faint. i would have started flexpen sooner, but i thought it would cost more. turns out it's covered by my insurance plan. thanks to flexpen, vial and syringe are just a memory. ask your doctor about novolog mix 70/30 flexpen, covered by 90% of insurance plans, including medicare. find your co-pay at myflexpen.com.

okay. so, it's time to check "the pulse," stories that are getting a lot of attention online right now. >> we're going to start with a bear's morning jaunt through a southern california neighborhood. bears are not uncommon there. this same bear broke into a garage last week to chow down on some meatballs. >> meatballs are good. >> yeah. >> it doesn't mean that people are used to them. what happened next got the attention of jimmy kimmel. >> this is -- there's the bear. they estimated he weighed between 500 and 600 pounds. pretty relaxed. he starts to wander up this sidewalk area here. and coming the opposite direction, you see a guy on his cell phone. i'm going to get the hell out of here. >> another reason not to text and walk at the same time,

folks. that bear was returned to the wild. later, yogi. also, online, a hit our next story. the simple photo of a guy running a 10k race. good hair and a massive smile made him an internet sensation. >> we find out what he looks like in real-life. he'll be live later in times square today on "good morning america." the ladies will be lining up. he has a girlfriend, though. he's a taken man. he's put that out there already. also sizzling on the internet this morning, bacon for dessert, music to our ears. burger king is trying out a bacon sundae, made of vanilla ice cream, caramel and a strip of bacon. >> who can go wrong with bacon? sweet and the salt? >> everything is better with bacon. for some of you, your local

news coming up next. >> for everyone else, lots of news coming up next. >> for everyone else, lots of tears after sherri went home. "save s over here!" "no, save 300 bucks over here!" "wait, save 400 bucks right here." with so many places offering so much buck-saving, where do you start? well, esurance was born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. so they're actually built to save you money... and time... and whiplash. esurance. insurance for the modern world. click or call. you're probably muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air. not only kills fleas and ticks it repels most ticks before they can attach and snack on us. frontline plus kills but doesn't repel and a tick that isn't repelled or killed may attach and make a meal of us. [ male announcer ] ask your veterinarian about k9 advantix ii.

breaking news, hundreds of thousands of panicked residents flee for higher ground following a massive earthquake in indonesia. the warning for every country touched by the indian ocean. >> and the animals that have officials closing off parts of golden gate park. >> meteorologist lisa argen tracking the storm. >> leftover showers. a break, then more rain. >> frances is back to check updating the top stories. rick santorum's departure from the race has removed the last

meaningful bump to mitt romney's path to the gop nomination. lawyers representing george zimmerman have quit the case. they say zimmerman has stopped communicating with them. the state attorney promises a big announcement by friday. the jum per jet that was diverted after a bomb threat may resume its flight today. passengers and crew were grounded there while everything on the plane was inspected. looking at today's weather now. cloudy on the east coast. severe weather in the high plains with some hail and gusty winds. meanwhile, rainy in southern california. a little bit of rain, as well, in the pacific northwest. and finally this morning, it is still early this season's "dancing with the stars." last night's elimination of truly a fan favorite broke a lot of hearts. >> the usually bubbly sherri shepherd couldn't stop the tears when she had to stay good-bye last night. she talked to abc's george pennacchio. >> sherri and val.

>> reporter: sherri shepherd couldn't fight back the tears after she learned she was the third celebrity eliminated from "dancing with the stars." >> thank you for letting me live a dream. >> reporter: that dream included a fox trot, a jive, a rumba, and a tango. after her elimination, sherri just couldn't do the whole press line. but she did talk to me. we've been talking, now, for ten years, since she was on "less than perfect." >> i got to live a dream. and you know, you never want your dream to end. so, you know, to get off the ride so early, it's a little heartbreaking. but i'm very thankful for the ride that i got. >> reporter: but sherri's newfound family wishes the ride could have lasted longer. >> she worked so hard. and it's so sad. i don't know. she really wanted to be there. so, it's awful. >> i want people to know that when i cry, it's a happy cry. it's a grateful cry. >> reporter: there are people that you danced with, who honestly are shattered for you.

and were shedding tears themselves. >> now, you're going to make me cry again. this is truly a family. and i've met some amazing people. you make my eyelash come off. you know, i'm a diva. >> i don't care. you know how much you meant to me. >> reporter: sherri was in the bottom two, with one of her son's favorite stars, roshon fegan. >> he said, is roshon coming back? yeah, baby, he is. i think jeffrey was voting on my iphone for -- yeah. it was roshon from the beginning. >> reporter: sherri returns to "the view." and the remaining nine celebrities return to rehearsing because next week is latin week. >> she was a jay to watch. that's what's making news in >> she was a jay to watch. that's what's making news in america this morning. closed captioning by closed captioning services,inc